Classmates

Saturday:

Let me tell you about some of my classmates. I made a real effort to memorise their names (about fifteen in my first class, then a few extras in later classes). Obviously I don't know them well yet after one week (in some cases one two-hour lesson) but some people stand out.

Mark wears grungy clothes and has long black dreadlocks pulled into a messy bun. He mentioned he lives inner city nearby. He dresses like boys I went to university with the first time, in their late teens or early 20s, but mentioned he went to uni in the 90s so can't be much younger than me. It's like he's stuck in a time warp. The most interesting thing about him is that when we were all introducing ourselves to the group, he completely glossed over what he'd been doing between that time at university twenty years ago, and now. No mention of jobs, family, or anything else. So what has he been doing with himself? Intriguing.

Maria is the opposite of secretive. She's only in one of my classes. Probably the oldest, a middle-aged Italian lady. Her self-introduction was at least four times as long as every else, she rambled on and on while the teacher got uncomfortable and politely tried to get her to finish up. That wasn't so much of a problem but her lack of computer skills was. At the information session I went to in January, they told us a certain level of computer skills was assumed and if we didn't have that, or if we hadn't worked/studied for a long time, we should probably do the more basic Cert III rather than the Diploma. I don't think Maria got that memo. I could believe she'd never used a computer in her life. She required so much help from the teacher and other students at every stage. We use the computers a lot. I felt sorry for her. I think she's been a housewife and mother all her life so the whole thing will be a huge challenge. Actually I expect her to drop out within a couple of weeks. But maybe she'll surprise me.

Kathy looks more like a librarian than a real librarian. Actually she is a music teacher. Youngish with a serene face, slender, glasses, a blouse with a flat lace collar. I can imagine her looking almost exactly the same when she is 80, a permanent fixture in her little library.

There is only one person I took a dislike to, she was only in one of my classes and that class didn't do an introduction so I don't know her name. You know how some people make "listening" noises during a conversation: mmm, yes, u-huh. She did this constantly while listening to the teacher lecturing. And by constantly I mean literally every few seconds. She was sitting right behind me and there was this stream of distracting noise. She'd finish the teacher's sentences! Repeat phrases. All at a conversational volume, not a quiet murmur. Did she think it was polite, to show she was listening? Not appropriate in this setting! The rest of us were sitting silently, showing our attention by staring at the teacher (now I wonder if staring would be inappropriate in some cultures?) and asking the occasional question or answering one. This lady was Australian so cultural difference wasn't the problem. It was a very technical class which I expect to be my favourite subject so I found it very frustrating. I gave her a few disapproving puzzled frowns over my shoulder which had no effect. She was extremely morbidly obese, I wasn't going to mention that because it wasn't relevant, but I mentioned what other people looked like so is that a kind of prejudice to avoid saying it? And maybe it is relevant, I've read blogs of very overweight people who have mentioned that a lack of self-esteem can make them over-eager to please so that could be having an effect. If so, it's backfiring. I can't believe it's only me that finds it so annoying.

Sarah is English and looks so much like someone I know (Amy, also English) that I want to discreetly find out if they are cousins or something. But it's probably just a racial type of large-boned blonde.

Have a lovely weekend!